Running board device



061;. 4, 1966 CRONKRIGHT 3,276,744

RUNNING BOARD DEVICE Filed May 21, 1964 J7 ZZ I N VENT OR. Evans-41. fem/(06w BY. I

United States Patent ()ffice Patented Oct. 4, 1966 3,276,744 RUNNING BOARD DEVICE Russell Cronkright, 376 S. Reed St., Denver, Colo. Filed May 21, 1964, Ser. No. 369,248 4 Claims. (Cl. 254-135) This invention relates to apparatus for stringing cables and more particularly to a running board device for use in simultaneously stringing a plurality of electrical conductors.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel running board device, of highly efficient and compact construction, for use in simultaneously and effectively stringing a plurality of cables in side-by-side relation wherein the running board device is so arranged and constructed that it will be maintained in proper position for passing the stringing block suspended from the transmission line tower structure to thereby permit proper and accurate seating of the cable conductors even though the conductor cables are subjected to varying tensions.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a novel running board device including a frame structure having pulley means about which a lead line is trained, the latter having opposite ends thereof connected to a pair of electrical conductor cables whereby said lead line may freely move over said pulley in response to varying independent tensions exerted on said conductor cables during the stringing operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide running board device of the class described wherein the running board device is provided with an elongate stabilizing member depending therefrom and capable of flexing in a fore-and-aft direction only and which serves to orient the running board device in a substantially horizontal position so that the conductor cables connected to the running board device will be properly positioned for seating upon the stringing block structure utilized in the stringing operation.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like character references refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view illustrating the running board device as it is used in a cable stringing operation;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the running board device;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the running board device on an enlarged scale with certain par-ts thereof broken away for clarity and other parts thereof illustrated by dotted line configuration;

FIG. 4 is a detailed cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken approximately along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 and looking in the direct of the arrows; and

FIG. 5 is a side eleva-tional view illustrating the running board device as it approaches the stringing block apparatus used in cable stringing operations.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that one embodiment of my running board device, designated generally by the reference numeral 10, is thereshown. The running board device is comprised of a frame structure 11 which includes substantially similar, generally triangular shaped, upper and lower frame elements or plates 12 and 13. The upper and lower frame elements are preferably constructed of a rigid metallic material and are rigidly connected together in spaced-apart substantially parallel relation. It is pointed out that in use, the frame structure 11 is oriented so that the frame elements are disposed in substantially horizontal position With the frame element 12 disposed uppermost and it is also pointed out that the apex or reduced end of the frame structure constitutes the forward end while the enlarged or base end of the triangular frame structure constitutes the rear end.

Means are provided for releasably connecting a pull line P to the front end of the frame structure 11 and this means includes a longitudinally extending coupling element 14 which has its rearmost end pivotally connected to the apex or forward end of the frame by means of a pivot pin 15 and which is suitably apertured at its front end to permit the loop connection of the pull line P thereto. The coupling element 14 permits limited swiveling movement of the pull line P relative to the frame structure 11 during the stringing operation which in many instances has been found to be desirable. It will be noted that the coupling element 14 is in the form of a clevis and is provided with a clevis pin 14a to which the pull line P is connected.

One of the problems experienced during the stringing operation, especially when a plurality of cables are being simultaneously strung, is that the running board device which interconnects the conductor cables with the pulling line is often subjected to unbalanced forces so that the running board device is often not properly oriented as it approaches the stringing block apparatus. Thus quite often the running board device is unable to pass or negotiate the stringing block apparatus and this condition must therefore be corrected which results in a loss of time and requires additional effort.

My running board device 10 is arranged and constructed to minimize, if not preclude, becoming disoriented with respect to the stringing block apparatus during the cable stringing operation. To this end, the running board device 10 is provided with a plurality of pulley elements 16 each of which is journaled for rotation relative to the frame structure 11 by means of axles or pins 17 which are in the form of bolt assemblies extending through and removably connected to the upper and lower frame elements. Referring now to FIG. 4 it will be seen that the pulleys 16 are provided with annular, generally concave grooves 18, of a size to accommodate the lead lines of the cables .to be strung. It will also be noted that the pulley elements 16 are properly spaced from the respective upper and lower frame elements 12 and 13 respectively by suitable spacers in the form of washers 16a.

In the embodiment shown, four such pulleys 16 have been provided and which are arranged in substantial transverse alignment adjacent the rear end or edge portion of the frame structure 11. The two of the pulleys which are designated the outboard pair are arranged adjacent the rear corners of the triangular shaped frame structure 11 while the inboard pair of pulleys are disposed in close proximity to each other and are arranged on opposite sides of the vertical longitudinal center line plane of the frame structure 11.

It is pointed out that the most common manner of bundling or stringing wires involves simultaneously stringing two or three wires. The running board device 10 as herein described, which includes four pulleys, will if desired accommodate four conductor cables but, in some instances, it is desirable to provide means for permitting five cables to be simultaneously strung and also effectively allowing three cables to be strung which are arranged in equilateral arrangement with respect to each other. To this end, coupling means are provided for coupling a cable to the running board structure 10 adjacent the vertical longitudinal center line plane thereof and this means includes a coupling pin 19 which projects through suitable apertures in the upper and lower plates 12 and 13 respectively of the frame structure 11. The coupling pin 19 is provided with a retaining element 20 which in the embodiment shown is in the form of a nut which threadedly engages the threaded upper end of the pin 19.

In some instances it is desirable to connect the lead line to the pivot pin 19 through the medium of a coupling element and this coupling element 21 comprises a plain eye and clevis fitting. Suitable thrust washers 22 are interposed between the eye of the coupling element 21 and the upper and lower plates of the frame structure 11 to properly space the coupling element 21 from the frame element. The rearmost end of the clevis fitting is provided with a clevis pin 23 to which the lead line is connected. It is to be understood that a swivel or basket type grip is preferably provided to interconnect the lead line and the electrical conductor. Such grips have builtin swivels and permit free revolving movement of the lead line and electrical conductor about their respective longitudinal axes so that an unwinding action will occur. This arrangement prevents twisting of the conductor and lead line during a stringing operation.

It will be seen that the coupling means defined by the coupling pin 19 and/ or the coupling element 21 lies substantially within the vertical longitudinal center line plane of the frame structure 11 and is disposed in substantial alignment with the pin 15. It will also be seen that the pivot pin 19 is spaced equilaterally from the respective outboard pulley elements 16 and also equilaterally with respect to the inboard pair of pulley elements.

Means are also provided *for orienting and stabilizing the frame structure 11 in a substantially horizontal position so that the pulley elements 16 are also horizontally oriented for rotation about substantially vertical axes. This stabilizing means includes an elongate keel element 24 which is of arcuate cross sectional shape and which is affixed to the lower surface of the lower frame element 13, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. It will be noted that this keel element 24 also lies in the vertical longitudinal center line plane of the frame structure 11 and extends substantially throughout the major portion of the foreand-aft dimension of the frame structure 11.

Referring again to FIG. 4 it will be seen that one end of an apertured bracket 25 is secured to the coupling pin 19 while the other end of the bracket 25 has the uppermost ends of an elongate flexible stabilizing member 26 pivotally secured thereto. This stabilizing member 26 is in the form of a roll chain structure and is therefore capable of flexing only in a fore-and-aft direction with respect to the frame structure 11. Since the stabilizing member 26 is centrally located and lies within the vertical longitudinal center line plane of the frame structure 11, fore-and-aft flexing movement of the stabilizing member will in no way produce any lateral swinging movement in the frame structure.

During the stringing operation, a plurality of conductor cables C are simultaneously strung in side-by-side relation and these cables are pulled from large reels R which are provided with suitable tensioning means so that a predetermined tension may be maintained on the cables during the stringing operation. The cables are attached to the running board device and are pulled through stringing block apparatus of multi-pulley construction which are suspended from the conventional insulator fitting carried by the transmission line tower structure T. It is pointed out that the stringing block apparatus A is preferably of the type illustrated in my United States Letters Patent No. 3,077,337 which very effectively accommodates a plurality of cables simultaneously in sideby-side relation. The overhead conductor cables C to be strung, are connected to suitable lead lines L preferably by Kellem grips K, as best seen in FIG. 2, although in some instances, such Kellem grips may be unavailable and other coupling means may be utilized to connect the ends of the cables C to the lead lines.

If two such cables C are to be simultaneously strung, a single lead line L will be provided and will have its opposite ends connected to the respective ends of a pair of conductor cables C to be strung and this lead line L will be trained about the outboard pulleys, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. The inboard pair of pulleys may be removed to minimize the weight of the running board structure if only two cables are to be strung.

However, in the event that three cables are to be strung, the lead line of the third cable will be connected directly to the pivot pin 19 or to the coupling element 21 if the latter is used. To this end, it is again pointed out that when Kellem grip connectors are utilized, the coupling element 21 may be omitted, since the Kellern grips themselves permit a certain amount of swiveling or pivoting action of the cable relative to the running board. In the event that it is desirable to simultaneously string four cables, then the lead line L which interconnects the ends of a pair of conductor cables will be trained around the inboard pulleys 16 while the outboard pulleys accommodate the lead line of the other pair of cables to be strung, as best seen in FIG. 4. A fifth cable may be accommodated by connection to the pivot pin 19 or the coupling element 21 if the latter is used. A pull line P is then connected to the pin 15 directly or through the medium of a coupling element 14 if the latter is used.

The pulling line is previously threaded through a series of structures on stringing blocks and is then connected to the running board through a swivel arrangement. The running board with lead lines and conductors is now pulled through the stringing block on the first support, then on through the series of supports until the conductor cables on the reel are about completely pulled out. The keel plate 24 and flexible stabilizing member 26 cause the frame structure 11 to assume the horizontal position with the upper frame element 12 disposed uppermost and with the pulley elements 16 also positioned horizontally for rotation about substantial vertical axes. Since the cables to be strung are subjected to independent tensions because of the inherent operation of the tensioning mechanism associated with the reels R, conventional running board devices are subjected to yawing action so that the running board device cannot pass the stringing block apparatus in many instances and even if it does, the cables will not seat properly on the pulleys of the stringing block apparatus.

However, in my running board device 10, since pairs of cables are connected by a single lead line and since such a lead line is trained over a pair of symmetrically arranged pulley elements, the lead line may run over the pulley element in response to unbalanced tensions exerted on such a pair of cables. This enables the pair of cables to maintain the same vertical sag in the span and affords an observer the opportunity to order the tensioning devices readjusted until the ends of the cables are brought approximately parallel, and to the desired stringing tensions. If three such cables are simultaneously strung, then the central cable will be equally spaced from the outermost pair and will be connected to the center coupling means at the rear of the running board frame structure 11, as best seen in FIG. 2. Because of the position of the central cable the tension exerted by it will have no effect on causing or producing a yawing action of the frame structure during the stringing operation. Further, the flexible stabilizing member 26 not only cooperates with the keel element 24 to produce lateral stability of the frame structure but this stabilizing member also orients the frame structure in a fore-and-aft direction with respect to the optimum angle of attack, as best seen in FIG. 5. Thus the front end portion of the frame structure is maintained at a higher level than the rear end portion and the flexibility of the stabilizing member in a fore-and-afit direction produces a selfbalancing effect on the running board device even when subjected to uneven fore-andeft components of force during the stringing operation.

The angle at which the conventional running board with conductors attached meets the stringing block apparatus is much greater from the horizontal than the corresponding angle of the pulling line on the opposite side of the stringing block. It has been found that this condition causes the stringing block apparatus and the vertical suspension insulators to which it is temporarily attached, to sustain a large angular displacement in the direction of the pulling force and this pulling force will increase before the running board with the conductors attached will pass over the pulleys of the stringing block device. This extreme angular displacement not only interferes with movement of the running board device past the stringing block apparatus but also quite often produces damage to the supporting tower structure. However, by attaching the cable a substantial distance rearwardly of the running board through the medium of lead lines and by permitting this single lead line for the most laterally spaced conductors to be freely movable, not only will the yawing effect be prevented but the angular displacement of the stringing block is greatly reduced as the running board device approaches this stringing block apparatus.

It will therefore be seen that I have provided a novel running board device which is arranged and constructed to equalize the uneven forces exerted by the conductor cables to be strung during the cable stringing operation.

It will also be seen from the preceding paragraphs that my novel running board device is also stabilized against lateral displacement during movement thereof so that there is little, if any, danger of the conductor cables being wound about each other due to a twisting action of the running board device.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a novel running board device which is not only of simple and inexpensive construction but one which functions in a more efficient manner than any heretofore known comparable device.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A running board device for use in simultaneously stringing a plurality of cables in side-by-side relation, said device comprising a rigid frame structure having forward and rear end portions and including upper and lower frame elements, said frame structure dimensioned to traverse a stringing block apparatus of the type having vertically arranged pulley means thereon and which is connected to the insulator cable support of a transmission line tower structure,

coupling means at the forward end of said frame structure for connecting to -a pulling line,

a plurality of spaced-apart pulley elements each positioned between said frame elements and being revolvably mounted for revolving movement relative to the latter, said pulley elements being arranged in spaced-apart pairs including an inboard pair and an outboard pair positioned on opposite sides of said inboard pair of pulley elements, said inboard pair of pulley elements being disposed in closely spaced apart relation and each pulley element of said outboard pair being positioned outwardly of but adjacent to one of the pulley elements of said inboard pair, each pair adapted to have a flexible lead line trained thereover which has opposite ends thereof connected to a pair of electrical conductor cables to be strung whereby said lead line is (freely movable over said pulleys in response to varying independent tensions exerted on said conductor cables during a stringing operation,

and stabilizing means including an elongate rigid keel element secured to said frame structure and extending in a fore and aft direction substantially throughout the length of said frame structure, and an elongate stabilizer member secured to and depending therefrom adjacent the vertical center line plane of the frame structure, said stabilizer member being capable of flexing in a fore-and-aft direction only with respect to the frame structure, said keel element and stabilizer member cooperating with each other for horizontally orienting and stabilizing the frame structure against lateral displacement and positioning the pulley elements in horizontal relation for revolving movement about substantially vertical parallel axes.

2. The running board device as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongate keel element is of generally arcuate cross sectional configuration affixed to the lower frame element and having its longitudinal axis disposed in the vertical longitudinal center line plane of the frame structure.

3. The running board device as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongate stabilizer member comprises a flexible chain depending from the frame structure adjacent the rear portion thereof.

4. The running board device as defined in claim 1 and a coupling element adjacent the central rear portion of said frame structure and being positioned between and equally spaced from a pair of pulley elements about which a single lead line is trained and adapted to have 1connected thereto the front end of a conductor cable lead References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 897,040 8/ 1908 Wash 2.54 926,982 7/1909 Graham 254-135 1,473,336 11/1923 Conuelly 254135 2,155,053 4/1939 Kuenzi 254135 3,077,337 2/ 196 3 Cronkright 254192 EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RUNNING BOARD DEVICE FOR USE IN SIMULTANEOUSLY STRINGING A PLURALITY OF CABLES IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A RIGID FRAME STRUCTURE HAVING FORWARD AND REAR END PORTIONS AND INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER FRAME ELEMENTS, SAID FRAME STRUCTURE DIMENSIONED TO TRAVERSE A STRINGING BLOCK APPARATUS OF THE TYPE HAVING VERTICALLY ARRANGED PULLEY MEANS THEREON AND WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE INSULATOR CABLE SUPPORT OF A TRANSMISSION LINE TOWER STRUCTURE, COUPLING MEANS AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME STRUCTURE FOR CONNECTING A PULLING LINE, A PLURALITY OF SPACED-APART PULLEY ELEMENTS EACH POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID FRAME ELEMENTS AND BEING REVOLVABLY MOUNTED FOR EVOLVING MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE LATTER, SAID PULLEY ELEMENTS BEING ARRANGED IN SPACED-APART PAIRS INCLUDING AN INBOARD PAIR AND AN OUTBOARD PAIR POSITIONED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID INBOARD PAIR OF PULLEY ELEMENTS, SAID INBOARD PAIR OF PULLEY ELEMENTS BEING DISPOSED IN CLOSELY SPACED APART RELATION AND EACH PULLEY ELEMENT OF SAID OUTBOARD PAIR BEING POSITIONED OUTWARDLY OF BUT ADJACENT TO ONE OF THE PULLEY ELEMENTS OF SAID INBOARD PAIR, EACH PAIR ADAPTED TO HAVE A FLEXIBLE LEAD LINE TRAINED THEREOVER WHICH HAS OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF CONNECTED TO A PAIR OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR CABLES TO BE STRUNG WHEREBY SAID LEAD LINE IS FREELY MOVABLE OVER SAID PULLEYS IN RESPONSE TO VARYING INDEPENDENT TENSIONS EXERTED ON SAID CONDUCTOR CABLES DURING A STRINGING OPERATION, AND STABILIZING MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATE RIGID KEEL ELEMENT SECURED TO SAID FRAME STRUCTURE AND EXTENDING IN A FORE AND AFT DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF SAID FRAME STRUCTURE, AND AN ELONGATE STABILIZER MEMBER SECURED TO AND DEPENDING THEREFROM ADJACENT THE VERTICAL CENTER LINE PLANE OF THE FRAME STRUCTURE, SAID STABILIZER MEMBER BEING CAPABLE OF FLEXING IN A FORE-AND-AFT DIRECTION ONLY WITH RESPECT TO THE FRAME STRUCTURE, SAID KEEL ELEMENT AND STABILIZER MEMBER COOPERATING WITH EACH OTHER FOR HORIZONTALLY ORIENTING AND STABILIZING THE FRAME STRUCTURE AGAINST LATERAL DISPLACEMENT AND POSITIONING THE PULLEY ELEMENTS IN HORIZONTAL RELATION FOR REVOLVING MOVEMENT ABOUT SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PARALLEL AXES. 